Ferrari Roma Spider Debuts As A 612 HP V8-Powered Soft-Top Convertible

After teasing the whole world with an obscure video teaser last week, Ferrari has finally debuted the all-new Ferrari Roma Spider. This latest model to roll out of the Maranello plant is the Prancing Horse’s first front-engined soft-top convertible since the iconic Ferrari 365 GTS4, launched half-a-millennium ago.

Unveiled at a special event held in Marrakesh, Morocco, the Ferrari Roma Spider looks pretty much the same as its coupe counterpart, apart from the automated soft-top convertible roof it’s primed with. This roof can be lowered in about 13.5 seconds at speeds up to 60 KM/H.

Once the roof is lowered down, there’s a new wind deflector bolted on the backrest of the Roma Spider’s backseat, preventing it from taking any extra cabin space. Ferrari offers customers with a slew of personalisation options for the soft-top, featuring multiple choices of “bespoke fabrics and contrasting stitchings.”

Aside from looking very stylish, the soft-top roof also grants the Roma Spider a slight practicality edge, as it occupies less space than the retractable hard-top convertible roof. This allows the convertible to be fitted with a 255-litre boot space, plus a ‘livable’ back seat space.

Elsewhere on the exterior, the Roma Spider also comes with LED headlights that flanked on either side of the body-colour mesh front grille, plus a Scuderia Ferrari shield emblem on the side part. At the back, the Roma Spider possesses a curvaceous rear end, primed with minimal four-bulb tail lights design, a proper rear diffuser, as well as a quad-tailpipe exhaust.

Just like its Coupe twin, the Roma Spider is powered by a 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 mill that makes 612 HP and 760 NM, with a redline at 7,500 RPM. Mated with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), this soft-top convertible reaches 100 KM/H in only 3.4 seconds. However, the extra 84 KG weight the Roma Spider carries has granted it a slower 0 to 200 KM/H sprint time of 9.7 seconds – 0.4 seconds slower than its Coupe twin (9.3 seconds).

Fortunately, the Roma Spider is still capable of matching the Coupe’s 320 KM/H V-max, at least that’s what Ferrari claims.

On board, the Roma Spider’s rather practical cabin space is primed with an 8.4-inch vertical infotainment display with standard mobile connectivities (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) supported. If that’s not enough screen for your liking, customers can opt for an additional 8.8-inch passenger display that shows performance and navigation information, as well as climate control and media settings – turning your front passenger into a de facto ‘co-pilot’.

While the cabin space mirrors the Coupe Roma, Ferrari adds a redesigned steering wheel to the Roma Spider. This new steering wheel omits the finicky flat touch controls of the old ones, replacing them with recessed ones for better feel, especially when driving.

Topping off the Roma Spider’s cabin amenities list is the 18-way auto adjustable front seats, with optional neck warmers to warm you up, especially when driving with a lowered roof.

The all-new Ferrari Roma Spider is poised to carry over the responsibility from the Portofino M as the Prancing Horse’s flagship front-mounted V8 convertible. As for now, the Italian marque has yet to announce the launching price for this soft-top convertible, but as any other Ferrari models of late, it will surely be slightly heftier than its Coupe twin.